Cabinet ministers, backbenchers, and Senators announced $14.09-billion in federal government spending between June 23 when the House rose and Aug. 2 when the federal election was called, according to the 670 announcements.The department that made the most spending announcements was Infrastructure Canada, followed by Western Economic Diversification, and then the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, according to review of all press releases over those 40 days. Infrastructure Canada had the highest, with more than $3.6-billion ($3,641,326,306).
The single biggest day for funding announcements was July 31, two days before the writ dropped when the Conservatives made 109 federal government spending announcements across the country.
Infrastructure and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Denis Lebel made 36 funding announcements, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification Michelle Rempel made 25, and Minister of State for ACOA Rob Moore made 24 and were the top three.
The Conservatives made the most announcements in Winnipeg, Man. (16), Saskatoon, Sask. (15), Vancouver, B.C. (12), Charlottetown, P.E.I. (11), North Bay Ont. (11), and Toronto, Ont. (11).
Ontario had the most announcements with 171, followed by British Columbia with 138.
Of the 171 announcements the federal Conservatives made in Ontario between June 23-Aug. 2, they announced a total of $7-billion in federal government spending, or half of the overall total in funding announcements across the country. Of that, an estimated $3.96-billion was previously announced funding, largely related to a $3.5-billion child and maternal health fund first announced in May 2014.
This was the biggest single announcement made, and announced on July 8, in Toronto by Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander, who is running in Ajax, Ont., along with Conservative incumbent Lois Brown, who is running for reelection in Newmarket-Aurora, Ont.
Announcements were made by 61 MPs in the province, and of those, 23 were ministers or ministers of state.
Conservative MP Royal Galipeau, who’s running for re-election in Orléans, Ont., was the Ontario MP to make the most new funding announcements, $6.3-million on his own, combined with a $1-billion funding announcement for Ottawa’s LRT line made alongside Employment and Social Development Minister Pierre Poilievre who’s running in Rideau-Carleton, Ont.
The department with the most announcements in Ontario was Infrastructure Canada with 64 announcements totalling $1.6-billion ($1,587,005,453), largely related to water infrastructure upgrades as well as road and highway reconstruction work. The Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario came second with 16 and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario had 13.
In Quebec, a total of 71 funding announcements were made between June 23 and Aug. 2, totalling $2-million.
A total of 14 Conservative MPs made announcements in the province, of those, 12 were ministers or ministers of state. The only Quebec Conservative not to make an announcement during this period was Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism Maxime Bernier, who’s running in Beauce, Que.
Mr. Lebel, who’s also the minister responsible for Quebec and is running for re-election in Lac-Saint-Jean, Que., made the most announcements at 39, totaling $611-million. Mr. Lebel’s announcements ranged from funding for armoury upgrades, to community infrastructure to funding to various organizations in the province.
The most funding announcements came from the Quebec Economic Development Agency, with 37 in all totaling $449-million, followed by Heritage with seven spending announcements and the Department of National Defence with six.
There were 57 announcements made in New Brunswick over the same period, totaling $304-million overall.
A total of 13 Conservative MPs and Senators made announcements in New Brunswick, including Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt, Fisheries and Oceans Minister Gail Shea, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Minister of State for ACOA Rob Moore. New Brunswick Conservative Senators Carolyn Stewart Olsen, Percy Mockler, and Rose-May Poirier all also made announcements.
Mr. Moore, who’s running for re-election in Fundy Royal, N.B., took part in the most funding announcements making 11, totalling $143-million overall, largely for water infrastructure and small craft harbour improvements.
The department with the most announcements in New Brunswick was Infrastructure, with 24 totalling $135-million. After that, ACOA accounted for the second most funding announcements with 17, followed by Heritage with seven.
Meanwhile, 51 spending announcements were made in Nova Scotia between July 23 and writ drop on Aug. 2, totalling just over $101-million.
Eight Conservatives made announcements in Nova Scotia over this period, including Nova Scotia Senator Michael MacDonald, Transport Minister Lisa Raitt, Justice Minister Peter MacKay, Mr. Moore and Minister of State for Science and Technology Ed Holder.
Mr. MacKay, who’s not running for re-election, took part in highest number of announcements in Nova Scotia at 14 overall totaling $74-million, followed by Conservative MP Gerald Keddy, who’s not running for election, with 13 and MP Scott Armstrong, who’s running in Cumberland-Colchester, N.S., taking part in 11. The majority of Mr. MacKay’s announcements involved water and waste-water upgrades, as well as money for facilities and centres in the province, including a $20-million announcement for seven projects at 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S.
In Nova Scotia, ACOA accounted for the highest number of spending announcements at 25 overall, totalling $4-million, followed by Infrastructure Canada with 12 announcements and the Department of Heritage with five.
In Prince Edward Island, Ms. Shea made all but three of the 24 spending announcements. Ms. Shea is running for re-election in the riding of Egmont, P.E.I.
The total funding announced in Prince Edward Island was $57-million. The largest chunk of this came from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, with $22-million for harbour improvements and habitat conservation projects, followed by ACOA with $16-million for such things as the Stompin’ Tom Connors Tourism Centre, community infrastructure projects, a jazz and blues festival, tourism and the Summerside Rotary Club.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Conservatives made 14 announcements, totalling $30-million.
Of these announcements, Mr. Moore made 10. Interestingly, Conservative Senators Fabian Manning and David Wells also made spending announcements, a practice seen in other ridings as well. But here, Sen. Manning announced almost four-times as much funding than Mr. Moore, who is the MP seeking re-election in the area. Mr. Manning announced $18-million while Mr. Moore handed out $5-million in government cheques.
In British Columbia, 138 announcements were made between June 23 and Aug. 2, totalling $1.2-billion. The spending was championed by 27 MPs, including out-of-province Cabinet Ministers Peter MacKay, Denis Lebel and Lisa Raitt.
Conservative MP Bob Zimmer, who is running for reelection in the riding of Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies, B.C., made the most announcements in the province. He made 20 announcements, totalling $124-million. The largest majority of which came from a $53-million announcement for the development of the Alaska Highway in Fort Nelson, B.C. The other announcements he made came mostly from Infrastructure Canada funds.
The department with the most announcements in the province was Infrastructure Canada with 58, followed by Western Economic Diversification with 33. However, the department that dropped the most cash in the province was Public Works and Government Services over two announcements: Mr. Zimmer’s $53-million announcement on July 24, coupled with an announcement on the same day by three MPs Diane Finley who is running in Haldimand-Norfolk, Ont., Andrew Saxton who is running in North Vancouver, B.C., and John Weston, the candidate for West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. The trio was in North Vancouver to highlight a “milestone” in Seaspan shipbuilding, totaling $514-million.
In Alberta, 41 announcements were made between June 23 and August 2, totaling $1.7-billion. Most of this money comes from a single announcement made by Finance Minister Joe Oliver who’s running in Eglington-Lawrence, Ont., Defence Minister Jason Kenney who is running in Calgary Midnapore, Alta., and Ms. Rempel who is running in Calgary Nose Hill, Alta. The whopping $1.5-billion was for the Calgary Green Line LRT project.
A total of 20 different MPs were handing out the big cheques over the summer in Alberta, dominated mostly by Ms. Rempel. She made 11 announcements in that time, totalling $39-million. The majority of which came from an announcement in Edmonton, Alta., for the second intake of the Western Innovation Initiative for Small and Medium Enterprises.
Health Minister Rona Ambrose, who is running in Sturgeon River-Parkland Alta., MP Tim Uppal who is running in Edmonton Mill Woods, Alta., and MP Leon Benoit, the MP for Vegreville-Wainwright, Alta., who is not running again, also made a handful. Mr. Kenney had the single largest individual spending announcement, with an Edmonton Alta., announcement of $93-million for drinking and wastewater infrastructure.
In Saskatchewan, the Conservatives made 27 announcements between June 23 and Aug. 2, totaling $98-million, by 11 different MPs, including Government House Leader Peter Van Loan, who is running again in York Simcoe, Ont., Speaker of the House of Commons Andrew Scheer, who is running again in Regina-Qu’Appelle, Sask. Ms. Rempel made the most announcements at five and all were under her portfolio of Western Economic Diversification.
After her, with three apiece, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz who is running again in Battlefords-Lloydminster, Sask., Kelly Block who is running in Carlton Trail-Eagle Creek, Sask., and Tom Lukiwski who is running in Moose Jaw-Lake Centre-Lanigan, Sask., all got in on the spending announcement action.
All but 12 of the announcements were made in Saskatoon, Sask. The other cities visited included Moose Jaw, Sask. three times, and Regina, Sask. twice.
The department with the most announcements in the province was Western Economic Diversification with 14.
However, the department that dropped the most cash in the province was Infrastructure Canada. In their two announcements, one in Harris, Sask., on June 26 and the other in Saskatoon, Sask., on July 31, Ms. Block announced $44-million for water infrastructure in 26 regional communities and highway improvements.
This was followed by a $17-million Agriculture announcement by Mr. Ritz for an agricultural resource centre in Saskatoon, Sask., on July 30.
In Manitoba, the Conservatives made 33 announcements between June 23 and Aug. 2, totalling $398-million. These announcements were made by 13 MPs, including Minister of State for Social Development Candice Bergen, who is running in Portage-Lisgar, Man., and announced the most money, with $184-million of the overall total.
She was seconded by MP Joyce Bateman, who is running in Winnipeg South Centre, Man., with $93-million, and had the most number of individual announcements, with seven.
The department with the most announcements in the province was once again Infrastructure Canada, with 12, seconded by Western Economic Diversification with 11.
Ten of the announcements were made in this province on July 31, seconded by four the day prior.
There were only three spending announcements made in the territory of the Yukon over the summer, totalling $7.7-million, almost all of which was announced on July 31, by Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq, who is running for re-election in Nunavut. Yukon Conservative incumbent Ryan Leef made the other two announcements, for a cultural festival, and greenhouse research. All three were held in Whitehorse.
Just two spending announcements were made in the Northwest Territories, a riding currently held by NDP MP Dennis Bevington, who is running for re-election there.
The sum of these announcements was $72-million, most of which came from one made by Ms. Aglukkaq on July 31 for commercial greenhouse development, and the other by Ontario MP Colin Carrie on July 27, for the Northwest Territories Highway Improvement project. Both were announced in Yellowknife.
The Conservatives made seven spending announcements in Nunavut, all but one announced by the territory’s MP Ms. Aglukkaq. The total spending unveiled was $208-million. Ms. Aglukkaq’s announcements were made in Iqaluit, Arviat, and Pond Inlet. The one other cheque presented was a pre-announced Department of National Defence amount of $56-million brought to Nanisivik, Nunavut for the construction of a naval facility by Ontario MP and Associate Minister of National Defence Julian Fantino.
Meanwhile, in Yavoriv, Ukraine, Minister of Defence Jason Kenney on June 27, announced $15-million for additional support to Ukraine.
Original Article
Source: hilltimes.com/
Author: Rachel Aiello, Laura Ryckewaert
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